Emphasizing Safety & Sustainability With Frozen Food Packaging

Economic and environmental realities drive the global demand for eco friendly packaging in commercial food, drink and nutritional supplement packaging. Durability and cost-efficiency remain high priorities in frozen food production, but they’re no longer enough. Flexible food packaging offers a whole host of benefits for producers, retailers and consumers alike. Learning about its features and advantages can help you select the best packaging options for your company’s operations.

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

From production to transportation, many commercial activities generate a carbon footprint. The key to reducing the size of that footprint is improving these processes’ efficiency, thereby cutting down on the amount of carbon released. Flexible custom frozen food packaging can reduce your footprint in several ways: fewer resources required for production, less material generated in landfills, higher product-to-package ratio and less space needed for transportation and storage. Some key statistics help prove this point:

  • The average flexible pouch weighs 5.7 grams and generates 0.02 kilograms of CO2 emissions for every 8 ounces.
  • Packaging 60 pounds of beverage requires 3 pounds of aluminum but only 1.5 pounds of flexible pouches.
  • To transport one truckload of unfilled pouches, you’d need 26 truckloads of empty glass jars.

Sustainability increases when recyclable materials are used to produce flexible packaging. One notable example is CharterNEX, which produces Green Arrow recyclable multi-layer standalone, print and sealant films. Intended to replace traditional PET lamination materials, its full collection of Green Arrow films include versions with up t0 40% post-consumer recycled content along with films using resins made from natural materials like sugar cane and starch. Digitally printed packaging offers additional benefits, reducing waste by eliminating the need for plates and screens that ultimately consume extra ink.

Improving Product Safety and Shelf Life

Flexible packaging also increases product shelf life and protects its contents. These advantages are most evident in nutritional supplement packaging. Flexible pouches contain barrier films that shield your product against temperature extremes, moisture penetration, oxidization and dehydration. Powder-proof resealable zippers keep contents safely inside, while child-proof zippers significantly reduce the risk of accidental ingestion.

These barriers and resealing features increase shelf life by several times the typical amount offered by traditional packaging methods. Adding oxygen absorbers inside each pouch also keeps its oxygen levels at almost zero and inhibits the growth of fungi and microorganisms. Less food is wasted, which also cuts down the amount that ends up in landfills.

Preferred by Brands and Consumers

Many food companies have already switched over to flexible packaging. A 2016 Harris Poll commissioned by the Flexible Packaging Association revealed that 83% of brand owners already use it in their operations. Consumers are also on board: The same Harris poll revealed that 71% preferred it over non-flexible packaging. Moreover, consumers value it for its ability to reseal, convenient storage, ease of opening and reusability.

With all its benefits for both brands and consumers, it’s clear that flexible packaging is the future of food packaging and storage. Its versatility, durability, safety features and sustainability make it a valuable choice for your food production and packaging operations.